The Moessner Miracle. Why wasn't this discovered for over 2000 years?
Mathologer・2 minutes read
Mercenar's Miracle is a mathematical discovery involving adding odd numbers to reveal squares, cubes, and higher powers through a unique method. The text explores the relationship between highlighted sequences of integers, Pascal's Triangle, and various triangles to showcase the generation of different power sequences and teases a graph theoretic proof for further mathematical insights.
Insights
- Mercenar's Miracle is a mathematical discovery by Alfred Mercenar that involves adding up odd numbers in a unique way to reveal squares, cubes, and higher powers of integers.
- Pascal's Triangle plays a crucial role in Mercenar's method, demonstrating how it leads to the generation of fifth powers and other powers through a structured conversion process involving coefficients and highlighted sequences of integers.
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Recent questions
What is Mercenar's Miracle?
A mathematical discovery involving adding odd numbers to reveal powers.
How does Mercenar's method work?
By highlighting every nth integer and summing unhighlighted numbers.
What role does Pascal's Triangle play in Mercenar's Miracle?
Integration to showcase generation of fifth powers and other powers.
How is Mercenar's Miracle proven?
Through various algebraic and visual methods.
What is the significance of Mercenar's original powers miracle?
Teases a graph theoretic proof for further mathematical insights.
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Summary
00:00
"Mercenar's Miracle: Unveiling Mathematical Powers"
- The text introduces the concept of Mercenar's Miracle, a mathematical discovery by Alfred Mercenar.
- Mercenar's Miracle involves a unique method of adding up odd numbers to reveal squares, cubes, and higher powers.
- The text explains Mercenar's method of highlighting every nth integer and adding up the unhighlighted numbers to generate the nth powers of integers.
- A visual proof is presented to demonstrate how Mercenar's method consistently produces cubes and higher powers.
- The text delves into the relationship between highlighted sequences of integers and the resulting sequences of products and powers.
- Pascal's Triangle is integrated into Mercenar's method to showcase how it leads to the generation of fifth powers and other powers.
- The text explores the connection between Pascal's Triangle and the number of journeys from one point to another in a diagram.
- Different triangles with varying addition rules are introduced to illustrate how they correspond to different power sequences.
- The text highlights the complexity of proving Mercenar's Miracle through various algebraic and visual methods.
- The text concludes by teasing a graph theoretic proof of Mercenar's original powers miracle, promising further mathematical insights.
17:57
"Circle method reveals pattern of powers"
- The method involves circles with numbers indicating the number of journeys to a target circle; reversing arrows directs all paths to the top blue circle.
- The goal is to show that summing methods result in fifth powers at the bottom circles; starting from the red circle, the number of journeys to the target circle follows a pattern of powers of two.
- By analyzing the powers of n on the right side of a triangle converting into powers of n+1 on the left side, the pattern is proven using coefficients from Pascal's triangle, demonstrating the conversion of powers in a structured manner.




